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Top Sixers vs. Hawks Game 5 Player Prop Picks (June 16, 2021)

By Russ Joy

Published: Jun 16th, 2021 · 11:46 AM EDT

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On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will play host to the Atlanta Hawks for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

Let’s take a closer look at the top Hawks vs. Sixers Game 5 player prop picks and make some predictions for this June 16, 2021 NBA Playoffs matchup.

Hawks vs. Sixers Game 5 Player Props (June 16, 2021)

After suffering back-to-back 16-point losses at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks struck back with a 103-100 home win at the State Farm Arena. However, it would be easy to point to Sixers center Joel Embiid’s 0-12 shooting in the second half of Game 4 as having nearly as much of an impact as any positive development from the Hawks’ side of things. Game 5 will begin what is effectively a best-of-three series between the teams with an Eastern Conference Finals berth on the line.

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Atlanta’s standout star in Game 4 was their budding superstar Trae Young, who dropped 25 points and dished out 18 assists in the victory. Young’s team-leading eight free throw attempts were critical to his point total, as he shot just 8-26 from the field. Meanwhile, Young’s running mate Bogdan Bogdanović shot 9-24 from the field, including 4-13 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points. John Collins (14), Clint Capela (12), and Kevin Huerter (10) also contributed double-digit points.

Philadelphia suffered from inconsistency in Game 4, entering halftime with a 62-49 lead, yet getting outscored in the second half 54-38, including just 18 points in the fourth quarter.  Franchise center Joel Embiid’s woeful 4-20 shooting performance proved disastrous, especially his 0-12 second half shooting totals. To his credit, Embiid pulled down a ridiculous 21 rebounds to go with his 17 points and led the team with eight free throw attempts. Tobias Harris led Philadelphia in scoring with 20 points, while sharpshooter Seth Curry contributed 17 points of his own. Philadelphia will need a much more aggressive Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris in Game 5, especially if Embiid struggles from the field.

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Ben Simmons to Record a Double-Double (+175, BetMGM)

Following  a disappointing three-point loss in Game 4, Sixers point guard Ben Simmons was critical of his performance, saying he should have been more aggressive, seemingly setting the stage for a high-effort performance in Game 5. Simmons shot 5-10 from the field for 11 points, while pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out 9 assists. Simmons, however, was once again plagued by a poor night at the free throw line, hitting just one of five attempts.

On a positive note for Simmons, Game 4 marked the third  time in four games this series in which he posted double-digit scoring. It  also marked  the second time in this series when Simmons recorded a double-double. Through nine postseason games, Simmons has recorded a double-double five times, and come within an assist or rebound of a double-double another two times.

Given the player’s public comments regarding his need to be more aggressive, as well as the success he’s found on the boards and via assists, it  stands to reason that Simmons could even end up with a triple-double. As it stands, consider getting in on Simmons to record a double-double at +175 odds at BetMGM.

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Seth Curry to Make Over 2.5 Three-Point Field Goals (-139, DraftKings Sportsbook)

Sharpshooter Seth Curry has become a standout star of sorts for the top seed Philadelphia 76ers. When Curry was acquired in an offseason trade from Dallas,  the belief was that Philadelphia was acquiring a player whose primary value came from shooting the long ball. Curry has proven to be so much more than a spot-up shooter. Over Curry’s last five postseason games, he’s averaging 20.2 points per game, showing off some mid-range ability in addition to the distance shooting fans had come to expect.

As for taking Curry to make over 2.5 three-point field goals, keep in mind that after making 3 three-pointers in three of five games in the first round against the Washington Wizards, Curry has been even better in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He connected on 5 three-pointers in Game 1 and Game 2, both of which came at the Wells Fargo Center. After going just 2-5 from downtown in Game 3, Curry rebounded with a 3-6 performance from beyond the arc.

Expect Curry to attempt six or more shots from beyond the arc, connecting on at least three.

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Joel Embiid to Score 30+ Points (-134, FanDuel Sportsbook)

There are few players in the NBA who can dominate a game on both sides of the ball like Joel Embiid. The Sixers center was a finalist for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, which went to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić. Embiid’s horrific second half performance in Game 5 is likely to fuel his internal fire as this series shifts back to the Wells Fargo Center.

In the first two games at home in this series, Embiid averaged 39.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He’s coming off a series-low 17-point performance in which he went just 4-20 from the field, including 1-4 from beyond the arc. More concerning was the fact that he saw his free throw attempts drop by half from 16 in Game 3 to just 8 in Game 4. In eight playoff games, Embiid has put up 30+ points four times. Keep in mind that Embiid’s field goal percentage at home in the regular season (53.1%) was higher than on the road (48.8%). Even more importantly, his three-point percentage was better at home as opposed to on the road (38.5% v. 36.2%), and he averaged 30 points per game in 29 home contests.

A motivated Joel Embiid playing in front of the Philly faithful is a phenomenon you don’t want to bet against.

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